Biblical Church Business
The Church of Acts was deeply involved in everyday business matters: In the genesis of time, all mankind, because of sin, was given the responsibility of working by the sweat of their brow, to meet our everyday needs. It is my belief that God's children should first hire and seek to do business within the church before going to the world. Here is my point of view. If you really love me, you will do business with me. If I love you, I will treat you as though you are my Lord. This should be in the heart of all of God’s children. One should never have to question this kind of love when they are doing business within the family of God. But tradition has forsaken this kind of fellowship. In our everyday lives, we all see things differently and from different perspectives, therefore there are going to be disagreements. I think the verses above show this as a pattern of the early church and how they were so involved in these business matters, but in their lack of spiritual growth, they were being reprimanded. I also believe that these children of God doing business together, needed overseers within the church, so leaders were appointed to look over these matters as depicted in the verses below. I do not believe for a minute that these leaders were appointed to the matters of when they came together for worship but in their everyday lives. It is in the everyday lives that the lives of others are changed.
1 Corinthians 6:1. Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3. Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4. If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5. I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6. But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
Also notice in the KJV that God has appointed to His church, "governments". Would not these governments possibly look over the business affairs of the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 12:28. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Church leaders appointed for church business: 1 Timothy 3:1. This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3. not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4. one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5. (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
For lesser matters:1 Timothy 3:8. Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9. holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10. But let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11. Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
Bottom line is this, if a man was disciplined and able to manage the business affairs on his own house, then this would become his credentials to take a position of leadership in the body of Christ, the church